Garment-stretcher.



M. CARLSON. GARMENT STRETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJG, I9I5.

. Patented Dec. l2, 1916.

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I i lmwwtcvz I"I. CARLSON attenua? GARMENT-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application led August 16, 1915. Serial No. 45,818.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MAGNUS CARLSON, a citizenof the United States, residing at Joaquin, in the county of Shelby andState of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inGarment-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to devices for pressing and stretching garments,and particularly to a device for this purpose peculiarly adapted tostretching trousers and creasing the trousers so as to keep the trousersin good shape, the device beino, however, adapted for pressing andcreasing other garments than trousers.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a garmentstretcher wherein the garment is held stretched by springs upon a frame,the springs acting to keep an even tension upon the garment and hold itflat down upon the frame.

A further object is to construct a garment stretcher comprising afoldable frame having at one end a garment clamp rigidly attached to theframe, but at the other end a garment clamp attached to vthe frame butagainst the springs so that when the frame is folded the springs will beplaced under tension and the garment stretched tightly.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accom panying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a face view of my improved garment stretcher; Fig. 2 is anedge view thereof; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof; Fig.4f is a like view to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a folded position;Fig. 5 is a perspective detailed view of the clamps 17 and 18; Fig. 6 isa sectional view of these clamps; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of onecorner of the frame, showing the manner in which the member 5 is hingedto the frame.

Referring to these drawings it will be seen that my improved garmentstretcher comprises a frame formed in two sections 2 and 3. Each sectionmay be made of metal, wood, or any other suitable material and may beeither solid or skeletonic in structure. Preferably the section 3 iswider than the section 2, the frame tapering from one end to the otherso as to conform somewhat in outline to the outline of a pair of foldedtrousers. These sections 2 and 3 are hinged to each other upon theirunder faces by hinges l which permitl the sections to be folded intoparallel relation.

At the broad end of section 3 there is supported a clamping memberl 5.This member is normallyv disposed in parallel relation to the end of thesection 3 and is hinged at one end to the section 3 while the other endis slotted as at 6. A clamping screw 7 has screw threaded engagementwith the end of the section 3 and the shank of this screw is adapted tobe passed through the slot 6, the head of the screw engaging with theend face of the clamping member 5. Preferably the corner of the section3 through which the screw 7 passes is reinforced by an angle iron 8 ifthe frame is made of wood. Preferably also the adjacent end of theclamping member 5 is also reinforced by a metallic strip 9 if the member5 is made of wood. The member 5 may be hinged to the section 3 in anysuitable manner but I have illustrated the end of the member 5 as beingpro vided with the hook or eye 10, the shank of which is angularly bentas at 11 and disposed in a slot at the end of the member 5, and l haveillustrated the adjacent face of the section 3 as being grooved withinthe shank as at 12 of an eye 13 embedded in this groove. The eyes 10 and13 engage with each other. Preferably a supporting eye 1li is mountedupon the member 5 whereby the device may be hung up. At the other end ofthe frame there are attached the coiled springs 15 by means of eyes 16.The free ends of these coiled springs are each attached to the ends of aclamping plate 17 which may be made of metal or any other suitablematerial, and hingedly connected to one end of this clamping plate is asecond clamping plate 1S whose free end is longitudinally slotted as at19. Mounted upon the clamping plate 17 which passes through this slot isa clamping button 2O which when turned wedges the member 18 downwardagainst the member 17 and securely clamps the trousers between the twoclamping members. I do not wish to be limited to any particularconstruction of button 20 but it is illustrated as formed with a shankhaving rotating engagement with the plate 17, and this shank terminatesin an eye which forms the means for forcing the plate 18 toward theplate 17 upon a rotation of the button. Neither do I wish to limitmyself to any f particular means for longitudinally.connecting theplates 17 and 18l but have shown for the purpose both of these plates asbeing formedwith a slot 21 to receive aring 22 or like member whichhingedly connects the clamping plates to each other.

In order to prevent the clamping members 17 and 18 from being drawn backtoo far, I provide a hold-back chain 23 which is attached to the hingedend'of the section 2 and which is preferably'disposed in a longitudinalopening or slot 2 4 formed in the frame and at its forward end isconnected to the plate 17. In order to prevent lateral movement of theclamping'plates 17 and 18 I may provide the section 2 with a longitudtnally extending slot or slots 25 and form the plate 17 with a slide orslides 26 engageable in vsaid groove.

yThe operation of my invention will be obvious from what lhas gonebefore. The trousers are folded in the usual manner and the extremitiesof the trouser legs are disposed. between the clamping plates 17 and18.vv The button `20is then turned to clamp the plate securely upon thelegs. The trousers are then taken by the waist band and pulledlongitudinally against the force of the springsl.' When a sutiicienttension has been secured the'clamping'plate 5 is closed upon thetrousers adjacent the waist band and theV screw' 7 is rotated until theclamping member 5 firmly engages the trousers. If it isk desired toplace a greater strain upon the trousers the sections 2 and 3 may befolded upon themselves as illustrated in Fig. 4. This will of coursevery greatly increase the pull on the trousers and will draw themtightly around the frame. By hinging the sections 2 and 3 to each otherI also provide for holding the pressing and stretching` Jframe so thatit may be readily carried in a trunk or packed away.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A garment stretcher comprising a substantially rectangular frame, agarment clamp hingedly mounted on one end face o the frame7 means forholding the garment clamp in coactive relation to the adjacent end ofthe frame, a garment clamp slidably mounted upon the face of the frameadjacent the other end comprising two sections hingedly connected toeach other, studs projecting from the under face of the garment clamp,the side members of the frame being longitudinally slotted forengagement with the studs, means for holding the sections in clampingengagement with the garment, springs urging the clamp in a directionaway from the iirst-named clamp, and a chain for limiting the movementof the last-named clamp under the action of the springs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atix my signature in the presence of'two witnesses.

MAGNUS CARLSON.

IVitnesses:

L. M. GENo, S. B. CRAWFORD.

Copies ofvthis patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

' Weshingtoml). C.

